The Vision

Leonara whimpered as the whip collided with tawny skin ripping it open.
‘Why,’ she thought dirty fingernails digging into the whipping post.
By now the back of her rags were splattered with her strange pulsing blood. She sighed in relief as her own blood numbed her completely and she could figure out a way from this. Emerald eyes glowed slightly as she felt a vision hit her.
A younger girl with a caring smile lay upon the river bank happily washing a basket of clothes.
A boy lay crying beside a broken body mahogany hair dripping with blood.
The younger girl suddenly glowing green as she did as all of the enslaved did
Yellow eyes bleeding red then a massacre
“They are after you! Run,” she felt the girl’s confusion.
Instead Leonara sent her emotions and memories of her terrible life.
"Run or die,” were her last words as the images kept changing and changing from one future to the other faster and faster before they blinked out.
Sluggishly she sent her magic feelers for the green essence she knew belonged to the boy. She could see black encroaching on her sight. Capturing the thread she sent all her waning strength hoping her message made it in time to the boy.
‘The girl you protect is in danger from the Alliance shape shifter!’ she sent through the green thread
Now in her cell she entered a trance.

Callan sighed lounging on a thick branch he had set aside his bow and arrows. He’d done enough hunting to calm his inner beast and quell his sister’s hunger. The cave they lived in was covered in furs and wooden piles which he then carved into beautiful furnishings for them.
Eden would use her skills to summon help from the forest and paint the furniture. Together they had made a cozy home protected by predators due to Eden’s gift. Here he could be what he was a giant predator just like his father before them.
‘Only we survived the annihilation lead by the elves,’ he thought touching his own pointed ears.
Two races always at war the Elves and the Beasts.
‘Killing’s got to stop, we’re becoming like those humans’ he thought strange slit yellow eyes closing for an afternoon nap.
When he awoke from someone yelling in his skull.
‘The girl you protect is in danger from the Alliance shape shifter!,’ it came again. For a second he thought he was going mad until he smelled it.
Eden’s blood.
He couldn’t care who saw him shift, paws landing on the grass and propelling him straight for Eden’s blood.
In that moment Callan was a beast on the hunt.

Eden gasped as the images stopped bombarding her. Then forgetting the basket of clothes she began running towards the cave.
“Look at that sir we actually found a Beast Empath,” came the voice.
She trembled recalling the images of before.
‘Easy Eden girl I’m sure those images were just to scare you. You are a beast! Act like IT,’ she thought growling low. In a show of sparks Eden became a 400lb panther. The man whistled as the girl now beast lunged for him.
“Looks like instincts are big in the female sir,” the man said pulling a strange contraption from his pockets and launching it into the air. There was no bang instead a small electro pulse ran through the air. In minutes the she cat was Eden once more.
“No,” she gasped stepping back ignoring her state of undress as panic ran through her.
‘Don’t panic! It lasts a minute at most! Distract them! Your brother is coming! Hold on,’ a weak voice whispered through her head.
Nodding Eden growled low searching her clothes for her dagger.
“Well sir shall we,” the man inquired his long fingers programming in the target and letting the needle stretch itself growing wings. He smirked launching them straight at Eden.
“I love these beauties, they are programmed to give just the right dose and all we have to do is watch,” he laughed.
Eden’s yellow eyes widened as the darts enclosed on her.
Suddenly the voice was back.
“Shield! We are Empaths and nature is a part of us.’
“I don’t know how to,” Eden cried falling to her knees hysterically.
‘I do,’ came the voice then Eden was a back seat driver and watched amazed as green energy seemed to whirl around her becoming crystal hard all around her. Eden knew this was not her doing. She could sense another being’s presence in her mind controlling Eden’s power for her.
“Who are you,” she asked.
Green energy surrounded a corner and for an instant a face was visible before melting into the greenest energy she had ever seen.
‘I’m enslaved right now. I refuse to let those Hunters take another of us.’

Outside two men were blindsided by a larger cat.
“Jesus I thought there was only one,” the man screamed evading long sharp claws that could tear him to pieces in seconds.
“I was told to provide for the Empath! How was I supposed to know she had a protector” the other man screamed back.
Callan stocked his prey lunging from the shadows and hiding again.
‘Your sister is safe! Finish the two men then when I say transform and run,’ the voice said.
“Who are you,” he growled.
‘Someone who refuses to see another Empath in chains. Trust me ,’ it said and Callan was full of warm feelings and images...the same Eden had.
‘Thanks as a beast I have to uphold my honor. I promise to find and release you,’ he replied jumping back from the silly human weapon.
The man prayed for salvation and it came with the crunch of his head in the jaws of the beast. The other man was scared off into the dangerous forest.
Green light overtook his vision as the crystal green structure began unwinding revealing Eden safe and sound as the voice had promised.
‘Thank you whoever you were,’ he thought clutching his sister.
‘Go and take care of your Empath. She needs training . Run to Evergreen. The stronghold of the Elves and ones who understand Empaths. They also value bravery show it in training and you’ll be accepted like their own. They are against Beast Extermination.’
Callan’s yellow eyes widened glowing green lights covering him and Eden transforming them into cats.
“I’ve overloaded myself but I figured after everything you wouldn’t have the energy to make the shift.”
Two cats nodded beginning their track to Evergreen.
‘Follow the green thread to another Empath Eden now good bye,’ it whispered before fading completely.
Ahead of their eyes a green thread materialized.
They began their quest to Evergreen Callan looked back as a giant green whirlwind coalesced into a humanoid form. The only thing he saw was Deep Emerald eyes laced with gold rings around the pupils.
In seconds even that was gone.

Leonara groaned in her cell. Never had she made such contact with others in a vision.
"So you're finally up I see," a cold voice replied. Leonara trembled. There was only one reason the Master would visit one of them
'He knows,' she thought gulping.
"Now don't be that way Lea. I just wish you would have told me of your gift earlier. It would have made living easier in Pandora.
It can be used and honed...oh just think of the possibility. You could even make the search so much easier."
"NO! I won't help swine like you get your filthy hands on other Empaths! Besides the gift doesn't work like that," she finished whispering tears sliding down mottled cheeks.
"Oh? I'm sure we can fix that but first it’s your turn to enter the Converter," he replied snapping his fingers.
Two men appeared from their concealment and grabbed a kicking and screaming Leonara to another room. She was belted down and connected to the Converter.
Then nothing but screams were heard as Leonara was pumped with energy till she could burst. Un tying her they then placed her in an electro tube and not being able to hold it much more she exploded with the energy sending it to the Converter giving power to Cetauris.
Leonara screamed as she kept pumping more power than the machine could hold.
"Holy shit, stop the machine or it'll blow!"
All the while eyes watched as their strongest Empath short circuited the Converter and kept on powering millions with just her alone.
'She gets stronger the more we use her,' he thought smirking now that he knew that little gift of hers.
"She'll be my perfect little pet kept beside me at all times. Of curse she'll need training with her gift. I'm sure Damien won't mind having a 'sister'.”